Very good for all of us that have winXP computers. I have two of those.

But I need linux on a small Netbook that I want to take with me on trips/travels.

It has a Win7 Starter on it and that one is like Win Vista in that it has no regular boot. They do it differently.

What would one do to do "frugal install" on such a computer? It has no CD or DVD but has USB booting and I already have two USB sticks with Linux on them that works but it would be much better if I had them on the computer instead.

Any clue on how to do this without partitioning the HDD?

There are a lot of posts out there on how to do a frugal, so you may have to research to figure out your specifics, but it seems it would be essentially the same result as with XP.: you need to have a folder that has all the files off of the cd (or usb) then something to boot it (a bootloader).

If you were to change your current bootloader to something like Grub, you could then probably boot Win7 and Puppy, but I don't know for sure since I haven't used Win7. Or if the bootloader is the same one as Win XP, then you could modify it as this exe file does (it basically just changes a line). Again, I don't know...

...any Win7/Puppy dual booters out there? You may have to search around if we don't get an answer on that one soon...

Yes thanks Steve, I am almost there T_Hobbit showed me his menu.lst and me mine so most likely I only have to create same folders extract the right files and do same he did. I am trying it all out of the Vista machine first because I have recovery disks for that one in case something happens.

Edit

Have used Puppy 4.3.1 several times in frugal install on a Vista machine and it saves bookmarks and so on. I am happy about it. How it works on the Acer I will test using a USB pin first._________________I use Google Search on Puppy Forum
not an ideal solution thoughLast edited by nooby on Thu 24 Dec 2009, 15:57; edited 1 time in total

Yes thanks Steve, I am almost there T_Hobbit showed me his menu.lst and me mine so most likely I only have to create same folders extract the right files and do same he did. I am trying it all out of the Vista machine first because I have recovery disks for that one in case something happens.

Steve could you write a short HOWTO post at the
portable Apps website? Either create your own NEW Forum topic or. make an entry on this thread Here
http://portableapps.com/node/17855
That echos exactly what you have said here in this forum for Puppy Linux Users, so that Portable Apps Users can read, without clicking on a link? I thought you would get the wording straight and the URL Mirror Links correct, Steve_S, where I might make an error.
Topic Subject: Windows Users Install Puppy Linux to USB FLash Drive and have a "Portable OS with installed Portable Apps"

I have a USB pendrive loaded with the Portable Apps suite and made bootable under Puppy-4.3.1

One needs to install wine in Puppy. "MOST" of the Portable Apps suite runs fine under wine in puppy.

Perhaps a few of us Puppy users should jointly work on a How To for using Portable Apps on a USB drive with a bootable Puppy.

Thom

Maybe Next in another forum post test/create,how to install WINE onto a USB Flash Boot disk to run these Windows Portable Apps under the Puppy OS just as Thom suggested above.
I was supprised by the number of Puppy Linux responses on that Portable Apps Linux thread 17855.

Hoping to get the basics right...before downloading Portable-apps?
Submitted by norsk on December 11, 2009 - 9:55am

The Idea being using a PC with an external USB hard drive but not leaving behind traces on the business PC.
IE Email, Browser history and bookmarks, files, configurations files.
Steve_S and Sylvander, How would you accomplish this with PuppyLinux and a FlashDrive and portable Apps?
Maybe Puppy Linux is complete enough running from a $12 1GB or 4GB drive to allow someone to "borrow and use" A pc to get online for a short time once a week. Maybe only one or two of the Portable Apps might be necessary, with the rest supplied by Puppy Linux like browsing with Seamonkey or FIrefox and Thunderbird for Email and Attym for Instant Messaging Chat.
What do you think fellow Puppy Users?

Fred Finster
All thoughts and comment appreciated here and also those cross posted at the Portable Apps website.

With Puppy you have the ability to start with a basic livecd and/or all the items that are on the cd (like what you do with an installed usb drive), and a save file and have a customized routine. Many on the other Portable Apps say it's not customizable? Really?! Check out "My Puppy is more gorgeous than yours" thread. Format a drive? Gparted can't be beat.

So, I understand how there are certain programs that people specifically want, and that may require wine (for example I have a thread on how to do Rosetta stone with Puppy and wine) but for most tasks (including looking at my work drive) Puppy can do it.

And by adding sfs files to Puppy rather doing straight installs, I've never seen anything remotely so portable. I've come from and still use XP, but I've used Debian, Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, SAM, DSL and various other Linux versions and my favorite is Puppy, hands down. And I'm currently using it on a PIII laptop, so it works great with older stuff.

I guess I just don't know what you are looking to be posted on that other thread as it seems to be a bit all over the place and I just am looking for some more explanation...

**Edit: sorry, I'm not trying to sound rude, I just am not sure what extra apps they might specifically need wine for. For example, without wine right now on my laptop, I run Thunderbird, Foxit pdf reader, Geany for text editing, all kinds of games, Firefox, OpenOffice, Opera and a whole bunch of other things. A virus scanner, even though I never use it 'cause Linux just doesn't get viruses, for lack of a more thorough explanation.

Then all the Puppy people keep coming up with their own programs that are even better than a lot of stuff I've seen out there (Pburn, for example).

PortableApps is mainly a site for stand-alone apps for Windows. To run from a pendrive. And the most apps they can find.
Beside that they want "stand-alone OS" also, and, probably, they want wine to run... the stand-alone apps for Windows!

Just a guess..._________________T_Hobbit
Rebuilding old DOS Machine for Wing Commander Privateer and Puppy Old spare parts to give away - anyone interested

PortableApps is mainly a site for stand-alone apps for Windows. To run from a pendrive. And the most apps they can find.
Beside that they want "stand-alone OS" also, and, probably, they want wine to run... the stand-alone apps for Windows!

Just a guess...

Yes, I understand that, but all the programs that they had listed that I could see where all ones that Puppy runs without wine.

Why do we need to emulate windows by using wine when you don't need to? It just seems round-about and indirect. I used this method when i first started using Linux, then began realizing that virtually everything I needed to do I could do in Linux without trying to make it like Windows.

Yes, not everything, and I have no problem running Wine, I just want to know exactly what they want me to post on the other forum. I love to get people that want to give Puppy a try, I just want to show the easiest way...

Ok, I've expressed my concern for running apps through wine when they can run natively in Puppy many times and there are alternatives to these apps in Puppy frequently as well.

That being said...

How to Add Wine to Puppy

After you get your Puppy up and running, you can go to this thread and get Wine. Portable apps is even mentioned in the thread.

In Puppy you install things using pet files (like in Windows you use .exe files to install). So, on that thread you can use a pet file to install Wine with.

However, rather than installing most things in Puppy, I prefer to use .sfs files (there is one available for Wine on that thread).

The way sfs files work: save the sfs file to the same place on your drive that has the Puppy save file on it (on a usb drive it would all be in one area). Then, while running Puppy, right click to get the menu (or go to Menu) and go here Menu>System>Boot Manager.

Then in the boot manager click on "Choose which extra sfs files to load at startup" and then pick the sfs files you want to run when the system starts up (in this case, pick the Wine sfs file).

Using sfs files you can continue to keep your Puppy small and portable (without having installing a bunch of stuff thus making it bigger) and add or remove sfs files as needed. The "squash file system" (sfs) loads the same time Puppy does and allows you to run it just like it were installed.

so, after my previous concerns about using Wine when it may not be necessary you can of course use Wine if necessary. Hope that helps.

PS Fred, if this is something helpful, please feel free to copy and post on the Portable Apps forum...

Still trying to help those transferring in from Windows, I'll add this:

if there is a particular program you want to run on Puppy and want to know how to run it on Wine, and/or, want to know if it runs in Puppy, and/or, if you want to know of an alternative in Puppy that may be a better choice, I will do my best to tell you the answer.

And, of course, any other Puppy-ians that want to give input are welcome to.

For example, in Windows do you love to run PhotoFiltre? (picture editing program)

Runs great in Wine, no hassle. Save the photofiltre.exe file where you want, then from command line run:

Code:

wine /mnt/home/photofiltre.exe

or where ever else you have it saved. It will run just fine.

Hate command line? Once we know it runs from command it is very simple to set up an icon and/or add it to the menu.

However, native to Puppy:
gimp, way more powerful, but not as user friendly; I use it in Windows too
mtpaint, almost the same as photofiltre, about the same power, easy to use, etc. Comes automatically installed in Puppy.
gpicview to view pic's, comes with Puppy
gqview, another viewer, native in Puppy

Many other examples, just tell us/me which program you are after and we can almost for sure find out how to use it with or without wine. Hope that helps.

Snapfiles is the BEST place that I know of for freeware for Windows. I've used it for many, many years in Windows.

I prefer Linux as I don't have to scan, clean and all that crap, but if you are looking for an app that you just got to run in Windows, that the place to start for free stuff. May be a better app there that is free than what you were thinking of in the first place.

But, once again, Puppy comes with more stuff in a small package than anything I've seen. Clearly I'm hugely biased though.

1. I'd like to see a good Puppy replacement for Mailwasher.
I use SaveMyModem [smm], but it isn't quite as good as Mailwasher.
e.g. Cannot copy and paste [or click] URL's to easily go to a webpage.
No means to set a rule for hiding [and deleting] emails from a particular sender or domain.

2. Programs I use under WINE, and apparently not available for Puppy:
(a) "Acerose Password Vault" [portable version].
Great for holding URL's, passwords, usernames, etc.

(b) "Space Monger-version-2.1.2-pre3" [portable].
Great for displaying space used by folders/files.

(c) The FREE version of SyncBack [not portable].
Great for backup/restore/sync of Windows partitions [not portable].
Will also backup a Puppy conventional installation once troublesome folder/file items are excluded [why I don't generally use it for that].

1. I'd like to see a good Puppy replacement for Mailwasher.
I use SaveMyModem [smm], but it isn't quite as good as Mailwasher.
e.g. Cannot copy and paste [or click] URL's to easily go to a webpage.
No means to set a rule for hiding [and deleting] emails from a particular sender or domain.

2. Programs I use under WINE, and apparently not available for Puppy:
(a) "Acerose Password Vault" [portable version].
Great for holding URL's, passwords, usernames, etc.

(b) "Space Monger-version-2.1.2-pre3" [portable].
Great for displaying space used by folders/files.

(c) The FREE version of SyncBack [not portable].
Great for backup/restore/sync of Windows partitions [not portable].
Will also backup a Puppy conventional installation once troublesome folder/file items are excluded [why I don't generally use it for that].

Then, Sylvander, once again you're our research expert, but now for these items.

These aren't the most common programs so I'm glad to see those that do run run well in wine.

I don't know everything about Mailwasher, but was surprised when i was looking at Thunderbird and discovered all the various extensions available. Maybe one of them can help fit the bill for what you want with mailwasher? Just an idea...

1. The good thing about Mailwasher and smm is that the user can deal with the email whilst it is still on the server...
[I'm using smm to do this right now]
And they are VERY QUICK.
e.g.
(a) Tick all the spam for deletion.

(b) See which forum threads have had replies, and go to those.
Mailwasher is particularly good because you just [double-click the email to open it, then] click a URL and you're there.

(c) I generally only fetch those remaining emails that would best be fetched for some reason [need to be stored?]

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